Systems and methods for replicating vehicular illumination

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for replicating vehicular illumination are disclosed. According to an aspect, a system includes a detector configured to sense light emitted by a host light of a host vehicle for detecting a lighting state of the host light. The system also includes a communications system configured to communicate the detected lighting state between the host light and the remote light. Further, the system includes a remote light being located on one of the host vehicle and an operator of the host vehicle and configured to replicate the lighting state of the host light.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/785,737, filed Mar. 14, 2013 and titled APPARATUS FORREPLICATING AUTOMOTIVE ILLUMINATION, and the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 61/843,042, filed Jul. 4, 2013 and titledAPPARATUS FOR REPLICATING AUTOMOTIVE ILLUMINATION; the contents of whichare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to vehicular illumination, and morespecifically, to replicating vehicular illumination.

Description of Related Art

The lighting system of vehicles typically include “illumination” devicesfor assisting the driver to view his or her surroundings and“conspicuity” and “signaling” devices for helping other drivers see thevehicle. Typically, these devices include various types of lamps orlights. Automotive lights may be mounted or integrated on the front,side and/or rear of the automobile and may be implemented using, forexample, incandescent bulbs, halogen lamps, xenon lights, neon tubes, orlight emitting diodes (LEDs). The general purpose of vehicular lightingsystem is to provide illumination for the driver to operate the vehiclesafely after dark, to increase the visibility of the vehicle, and todisplay information about the vehicle's presence, position, size,direction of travel, and driver's intentions regarding direction andspeed of travel.

Tail lights (also referred to as “tail lamp,” “rear position lamps,”“tail lamp,” and “rear light”) provide night time vehicle conspicuity toother drivers at the rear of the vehicle. Tail lights are required toproduce only red light, and to be wired such that they are lit wheneverfront position lamps or headlights are illuminated.

Turn signals (also, “directional indicators,” “directional signals,”“indicators,” “directionals,” “blinkers,” or “flashers”) are signallights mounted near the left and right front and rear corners and areused to indicate to other drivers that the operator intends a lateralchange of position (i.e., a turn or lane change).

Brake lights or “stop lamps” are red light steady-burning rear lampswhich are brighter than tail lamps and activated when the driver appliesthe vehicle's brakes. Brake lights are required to be fitted inmultiples of two, and symmetrically at the left and right edges of therear of every vehicle. In North America, the range of acceptableintensity for a brake lamp containing one light source (e.g., bulb) is80 to 300 candelas. In addition to having separate tail lights and brakelights, it is appreciated that tail lights may also be combined with avehicle's brake lights to create a combined-function installation. Incombined-function installations, rear facing lamps may produce brighterred light for the brake lamp function, and dimmer red light for the rearposition lamp function. Regulations may specify minimum intensity ratiosbetween the bright (brake) and dim (tail) lighting modes, so that avehicle displaying rear position lamps will not be mistakenlyinterpreted as showing brake lamps, and vice versa.

Finally, a specialized brake light mounted higher than the vehicle'sleft and right brake lamps may be used in some vehicles in order toprovide a deceleration warning and visual alarm to drivers whose view ofnormal brake lights is obstructed. This additional brake light may bereferred to as a center high mount stop lamp (CHMSL) and may be aregulatory requirement in some jurisdictions. Because brake lights andturn signals are traditionally placed in the same housing, CHMSLs mayhelp to disambiguate brake indicators from turn signals.

For motorcycles, conspicuity and signaling lights may be mounted on thesides of the rear fender, centered on the rear fender (i.e., above thelicense plate and below the driver's seat), and/or on the handlebars orfront forks.

One problem associated with conventional motorcycle illumination systemsis that a large portion of the rear-viewable area is unilluminated thusrendering motorcycle riders at a safety disadvantage compared toautomobile drivers. For example, a motorcycle rider may wear a safetyhelmet and jacket or other clothing. Viewed from the rear, this surfacearea is typically unilluminated. Thus, in low-visibility situations,other drivers may be more likely to be involved in a rear end collisionwith motorcycles. Even in conventional systems which self-illuminatewith reflective coatings, illuminate portions of a motorcycle rider'sclothing, the illumination is often not coupled to the motorcycles taillights, brake lights, and turn signals, thus reducing their overalleffectiveness.

Accordingly, a need exists for improved methods and systems forreplicating vehicular illumination.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for replicating vehicularillumination. According to an aspect, a system includes a detectorconfigured to sense light emitted by a host light of a host vehicle fordetecting a lighting state of the host light. The system also includes acommunications system configured to communicate the detected lightingstate between the host light and the remote light. Further, the systemincludes a remote light being located on one of the host vehicle and anoperator of the host vehicle and configured to replicate the lightingstate of the host light.

An object of the presently disclosed subject matter having been statedhereinabove, and which is achieved in whole or in part by the presentlydisclosed subject matter, other objects will become evident as thedescription proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings as best described hereinbelow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of logical components for providing wirelessmotorcycle illumination according to an embodiment of the subject matterdescribed herein;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of exemplary circuits for sending andreceiving wireless communications for providing wireless motorcycleillumination according to an embodiment of the subject matter describedherein;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating several possible locations of wirelessbrake and tail lights on a motorcycle driver's clothing and helmet forproviding wireless motorcycle illumination according to an embodiment ofthe subject matter described herein; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing exemplary steps for wirelesslyreplicating motorcycle illumination according to an embodiment of thesubject matter described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of logical components for replicating wirelessvehicular illumination in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, a lighting state of one or more hostlights 100 may be replicated to a remotely located light 110 associatedwith a host vehicle. For example, an optical detector or sensor 102,such as a photodiode, may be attached to host lamp or light 100 fordetecting whether host lamp is in an “on” or an “off” statecorresponding to whether the lamp is illuminated, unilluminated, orsomewhere in between, respectively. For example, the photodiode maydetect whether light is emitting from the host light(s) 100. In additionto detecting a lighting state of host light(s) 100, the detector 102 maybe configured to detect one of a color and an intensity (or brightness)of host light(s) 100. Information related to detected color, intensity,and/or the like may also be communicated such that these characteristicsor lighting states of the host light(s) 100 may also be replicated asdisclosed herein in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure. In accordance with embodiments, one or more additionalsensors can utilized for differentiating between ambient light andbackground light. The detection and transmission can have many states asin a digital detection methodology or be of a continuous signal as in ananalog system.

The detector 102 may be operatively coupled to a wireless transmitter104 for communicating the lighting state (e.g., on or off) to a wirelessreceiver 106. For example, the detector 102 and the transmitter 104 maybe communicatively connected. The transmitter 104 may receive data or asignal waveform from the detector 102 that indicates an on state, offstate, or intensity state of the host light(s) 100. Subsequent toreceipt of the data, the transmitter 104 may communicate to the receiver106 a signal indicative of the on state, off state, or intensity state.In one embodiment, wireless communications between transmitter 104 andreceiver 106 may include components for BLUETOOTH™ communicationstechnology for communication between each other. However, it isappreciated that other communications systems may also be used,including other wireless IEEE 802.11 systems or wired communications,without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein.

Other types of detectors may also be used for determining the lightingstate of the host light(s) 100. For example, an electrical sensor may beconnected to a wiring harness associated with host light(s) 100.Alternatively, an accelerometer or strain gauge may be connected to thehand lever or foot brake for sensing use to detect when an associatedhost light is to be activated or de-activated. In response to detectingthe intended activation or de-activation, the detector 102 can controlthe transmitter 104 to transmit a corresponding signal indicative of theactivation (on state) or the de-activation (off state). Other exampledetectors include, but are not limited to, proximity sensors, magneticfield sensors, Hall effect sensors, infrared sensors, thermal sensors,visual wavelength based sensors, photosensors, cameras, voltage andcurrent sensing devices, and the like.

Receiver 106 may optionally be associated with an LED driver circuit 108configured to communicate the lighting state to one or more remotelights 110. The remote light(s) 110 may be an LED light. The remotelight(s) 110 may be attached to the helmet and/or clothing of amotorcycle rider so as to provide increased rear directional warning andsignaling to other drivers. In another example, the remote light(s) 110may be attached to an automobile or trailer, and both right and leftsides. It should be appreciated that in addition to LED lights, remotelight 110 may utilize an incandescent light, Xenon light, strobe light,or compact fluorescent light (CFL) without departing from the scope ofthe subject matter described herein. The transmitter 104 and receiver106 may collectively comprise a communications system configured tocommunicate a lighting state of the host light(s) 100 to remote theremote light(s) 110. In other embodiments, the communications system mayinclude separate transceivers operatively associated with host light(s)100 and the remote light(s) 110 for providing bidirectionalcommunications. These communications may be used to acknowledge to theoperator or electronic error codes whether the lamp is actuallyfollowing the host light illumination process.

Regarding the physical placement of detector 102, running light and turnsignal sensors may be mounted directly on the host vehicle's lightassembly. Specifically, for example, the left turn and running lightmodules, along with transmitter 104 may be mounted on the left side ofthe vehicle and on top of their respective lights. An optical receivermay be mounted so as to receive optical radiation directly from thelamp. It may be mounted remotely from the lamp, but in visual contactwith the light emission. Optical receiver/sensor may incorporate a lens.In another example, a detector may be placed inside the host lightassembly in the lens or socket. Hence, it can be interior to or exteriorto the host light assembly. Similarly, the right turn signal detectormay be mounted on the right side of the host vehicle and connected tomain transmit board 104 wirelessly or via a wire. In the example ofmotorcycles, the brake light detector may be mounted separately from theabove mentioned detectors. In the example of other vehicles, the brakelight detector may be located on top of the host vehicle's CHMSL.Conversely, accelerometers could be placed on the operator or hostvehicle and communicate deceleration and turning maneuvers by BLUETOOTH®communication. One such convenient way to incorporate this technology isthrough use of the operators' cell phone. The accelerometer detecting anacceleration or deceleration is located directly on the cell phone andis communicated to the Bluetooth receiver of the remote lamp or CHMSLwhich decodes the Bluetooth signal and energizes the lamp depending onthe intensity of the acceleration. In order to immediately obtain otherdrivers attention, the first action is to energize a bright strobe,whereby immediately this is followed by the illumination of the remotelamp to follow the accelerometer output. For trailers where not onlybrake indicators are of interest, there are the turn signals andnighttime states of interest. For automobiles with trailers, thedetection of the signal lamps could not only be coupled by opticalsensors on the lamps, but could be coupled mechanically to the turnsignal selector and brake pedal. The sensors could be accelerometers,strain gauges, force indicators. The sensations or act of selecting theturn signal is relayed wirelessly to the remote trailer lamp. Trailerlamp may have multiple sets of LED's which are activated to sum togetherwhen both headlamps and braking is detected, and a separate set isselected to flashing when the turn signal is energized.

Thereafter, the lighting state may be replicated to remote lamp 110. Forexample, remote light 110 may be located, for example, on the helmet ofa motorcycle rider, and may be operatively associated with host brakelight 100 and illuminated when host brake light 100 is illuminated.Similarly, other remote lights 110 may be located in various locationsand used to replicate the lighting states of one or more host lights 100including, but not limited to, tail lights and turn signals.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of exemplary circuits for sending andreceiving wireless communications for providing wireless motorcycleillumination in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.Referring to FIG. 2, an optical sensor (generally designated 200) may beimplemented with a photodiode and resistor pair. For example, theoptical sensor may include a photodiode coupled with a 10 MΩ resistor202. It should be appreciated that the photodiode may be specificallymatched to be most responsive to wavelengths similar to that of red andyellow light.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus described herein may be basedupon a one-way radio frequency (RF) communications system utilizing twoseparate narrow band RF links operating at 315 MHz, 433 MHz, or otherFCC allowable bands such as 916.5 MHz respectively. Exemplary frequencybands and transmission protocols include low level BLUETOOTH® and theDSRC 5.85 GHz-5.925 GHz band, and WI-FI® like protocols for transmittingthe warning signals. At the host vehicle, optical pickups (e.g.,photodiodes) may be used to acquire the instantaneous state yetcontinuous state of the host vehicle's light system. The state of eachhost light may be encoded and sent as a binary 1's or 0's to thetransmitter, where the information may be routed to either a 315 MHzmulti-input (i.e., left turn signal, right turn signal, rear light) or a433 MHz single-input (i.e., brake light) transmitter. Continuous analogsignals may also be represented on the transmitter, and received by thereceiver using a radio modulation scheme as simple as FM and AM radiotechniques.

In the case of a 315 MHz multi-input transmitter, turn signal and rearlight states may be encoded using a 10-bit address and relayedwirelessly to both the left and right trailer light pods. Theinformation may then be received by a 315 MHz multi-output receiver andchecked against a 10-bit decode address. If there is a match between theencoded and decoded addresses, the received bits may be sent to anappropriate output LED driver circuit. Otherwise, if the addresses donot match, the receiver may reject the data transmission, keeping itsoutput data lines latched to the previous state. The addresses may becoded randomly at the factory, or by serial number of the light, by theowner's license number or plate number. This is to reduce theprobability that a nearby vehicle is not controlling the host lights.

In the case of a 433 MHz single-input transmitter, there may be noencode/decode process. Rather, a 433 MHz single-output receiver 106 maybe configured to replicate the current brake light state at its outputpin, which may be routed to the LED driver circuit for display to remotelight 110. Thus, it is appreciated that a circuit schematic for a 433MHz single-input transmitter may be identical to a 315 MHz multi-inputtransmitter.

The detector 102 may detect a state (on/off/grey) of the host vehicle'srunning light, brake light, and turn signals via the photodiode andresistor pair shown in FIG. 2. For example, a reverse-biased photodiodemay function as an optical detector by allowing a reverse saturationcurrent proportional to the wavelength and intensity of incident light.Thus, when there is little incident light (i.e., from a particular lighton the host vehicle), the photodiode may allow approximately 0 amps ofreverse current, thus producing approximately 0 volts across the 10 MΩresistor corresponding to a transistor-transistor logic (TTL) “low”state. Alternatively, when there is little incident light (i.e., thehost vehicle's light activates), the photodiode may allow approximately0.2 μA of reverse current, thus producing approximately 5V, or a TTL“high” across the 10 MΩ resistor. To complete the optical pickup, thisvoltage may be routed through a buffer integrated circuit (IC)(generally designated 202) and into the proper input pin of transmitterTx. Optionally, buffer IC 2022 may be used to prevent any current drawby the transmitter and other attached circuitry. It is contemplated thatmany states may be encoded depending on the lamp intensity, or thattypical analog techniques may be incorporated. For example, an ADC couldcode the light intensity level from 0-5V, and this could be sent viaBluetooth short range to the receiver which would DAC it and conditionthat voltage for output to remote lights 110.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it is appreciated that resistors maybe selected to bias the bipolar junction transistor (BJT) (generallydesignated 204) in the active region while supplying ˜100 mA ofcollector current. Additionally, a capacitor may be located between theinput of a driver circuit (generally designated 206) and ground forpreventing the BJT 204 from turning off during state transitions(thereby causing the LEDs 208 to flash unexpectedly) when the voltagefrom the buffer temporarily drops. The output data pins of a receiver Rxmay directly control the driver circuit for LED grids 208. The receiveRx may be configured for receipt of signals from the transmitter Tx.

The transmitter Tx may utilize a surface acoustic wave (SAW)-basedarchitecture to produce keyed output at one or more carrier frequencies.The receiver Rx may utilize matched 315 MHz multi-output and 433 MHzsingle-output SAW based receivers. For embodiments including a 315 MHzreceiver, at any given time, the output data lines of the receiver mayreplicate the input data lines of transmitter Tx (for the last accepteddata transmission). However, for embodiments including a 433 MHzreceiver, because the receiver has no decode stage, its single outputdata line may simply replicate the input data line on transmitter Tx. Ineither embodiment, the output data lines may be fed through buffer IC totheir respective driver circuits, which may use a common-emitteramplifier, in order to provide the necessary current for each remotelight.

FIG. 3 illustrates a rear perspective view showing locations of wirelessbrake and tail lights on a motorcycle driver's clothing and helmet forproviding wireless motorcycle illumination in accordance withembodiments of the present disclosure. More particularly, the figureshows a motorcycle driver 300 on a motorcycle 302. The motorcycle driver300 may be an operator of the motorcycle 302 and may wear protectiveclothing, such as a helmet and/or jacket. Host turn signal lights 304may be located on the rear fender of motorcycle 302 on either side ofthe license plate. A host brake light 306 may be located above thelicense plate and centered on the rear fender.

As can be appreciated, when motorcycle driver 300 is seated in a drivingposition on motorcycle 302, only a small surface area of motorcycle 302is visible to other motorists from behind. This limits the locations andsize of safety lights for motorcycle 302. However, a large visiblesurface may be associated with the back of driver 300's helmet andtorso. Accordingly, remote light 308 may be located on, or embeddedwithin, the helmet of driver 300 for providing duplicate braking,signaling, or conspicuity illumination functions. Similarly, remotelights 310 may be located on various portions of the torso of driver300, for example, for providing duplicate turn signaling functions.

As described above, remote lights 308 and 310 may receive lighting stateinformation from host lights 304 and 306 associated with motorcycle 302via a communications system in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure. The communications system may include, but is notlimited to, wireless communications (i.e., BLUETOOTH™) or wiredcommunications technology.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example method for providing wirelessmotorcycle illumination in accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure. Referring to FIG. 4, in block 400, a lighting state orcondition of intensity of a host light on a host vehicle is detected.For example, an optical detector or sensor, such as the detector 102shown in FIG. 1, may be attached to the host light(s) 100 for detectingwhether the host light(s) are in an “on” off or a “gray” statecorresponding to whether the light is illuminated, unilluminated, orpartially illuminated respectively. In addition to detecting a lightingstate of the host light(s) 100, the detector 102 may be configured todetect one of a color and an intensity of host light(s) 100.

In block 402, the lighting state is communicated to a remote light beingconfigured to replicate the lighting state of the host light and locatedon an operator of the host vehicle. For example, the detector 102 may beoperatively coupled to the transmitter 104 for communicating thelighting state to the receiver 106. In embodiments, wirelesscommunications between the transmitter 104 and the receiver 106 may beimplemented by suitable BLUETOOTH™ communications technology or DSRCtechnology. In addition to detecting whether host light(s) 100 is on oroff, or in between the detector 102 may be configured to detect one of acolor and an intensity of host light(s) 100. Thereafter, the lightingstate may be replicated to the remote light(s) 110. The minimumrequirements from the Department of Transportation (DOT) are satisfiedby incorporating regulatory standards of intensity, intensity ratios,colors and timing with respect to flashing and blinking lamps.Regulatory standards of wireless communication including V2V and V2I aremet following rules from the FCC and ITS.

A power supply may be tapped into the electrical system of the host, bea solar cell, or battery. An optical sensor may be utilized as acomponent for the detector for detecting the state of the host taillamps. But many types of sensors may alternatively be incorporated. Thesensors may be an accelerometer attached to a blinker of a taillight.Other locations for physical or motion sensors may include, but are notlimited to, a brake pedal for example.

The ability to reduce false triggers of a slave lamp is important. Oneproblem is to filter the background light out of the sensing circuit.This can be done using 2 sensors, where one is not connected to the hostlamp, but is positioned to sense the ambient light. The response of theambient sensor is subtracted from the response of the lamp detector inreal time to detect when the light is on. Some calibration may benecessary, as the ambient at the lamp may not be the same as thatrecorded at the ambient sensor. Other methods may include a singlesensor solution where an optical filter is used to only allow light of aspecific color to excite the sensor, or the sensor itself could be tunedto say RED only. The system may be programmed to calibrate itself forthe ambient or background light.

Wireless transmission to remote lights is further receivable bysecondary vehicles or other recipients for warning informationsimultaneously while illuminating remote lights. Exemplary frequencybands and transmission protocols include the DSRC 5.85 GHz-5.925 GHzband, and WiFi like protocols. The recipients can be Vehicle toInfrastructure V2I or Vehicle to Vehicle V2V. Warnings to remote driversare manifested in visual safety light warnings directly on the hostvehicle, and have the ability to process receipt of the information fromthe wireless transmission.

In still another embodiment, optical cameras could be used to detect thestate of the indicator lamps on a vehicle. For example, a Pixelinkcamera could be placed on the trailer in tow with optics focused to readthe state of the rear lights of the host. The camera could be placed onthe trailer or the host. Systems such as these could analyze the pixelpattern, and through software program and a controller, decode the lampstate, and through a logic diagram, faithfully transmit the propertrailer light state to the proper lamps. The transfer of informationcould be wireless or through a wired system.

In the realm of electronics, these lights are not fast signals. Thus theslowly varying voltage values are wirelessly and continuouslytransmitted to the remote using an authenticated or coded communicationchannel. For analog channel embodiments, the communication is performedvia frequency modulation or pulse width modulation or a combinationthereof. The authentication can be performed via a predefined carriertime frequency profile. For digital channel embodiments, thecommunication channel is performed an authenticated digital low energy,short range protocol such as WIFI, ANT+, Bluetooth, Bluetooth LowEnergy, Zigbee, DASH7 communication standards or other ad-hoc digitalmethod. The pairing between the transmitter and the remote isestablished during an initialization phase in order to preventcommunication of information to untrusted (units) and potentialcrosstalk between channels and other vehicles.

In addition, regulatory standards are met for the location, shape andsize of the remote lights such as the position, shape and size of thelight on a motorcycle helmet. Regulatory standards of wirelesscommunication including V2V and V2I are met following rules from the FCCand ITS.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure setforth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which thepresent disclosed subject matter pertains having the benefit of theteachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associateddrawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the present subjectmatter is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed andthat modifications and other embodiments are intended to be includedwithin the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms areemployed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense onlyand not for purposes of limitation.

It will be understood that various details of the presently disclosedsubject matter may be changed without departing from the scope of thepresently disclosed subject matter. Furthermore, the foregoingdescription is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for thepurpose of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a first detector configuredto sense light emitted by a first light of a vehicle, wherein the firstdetector is configured and positioned to directly receive the firstlight emitted by the vehicle; a second detector being separate from thefirst detector and positioned to sense background light; at least oneelectrical component configured to compare the sensed background lightand the sensed first light to determine a lighting state of the firstlight from among a plurality of different lighting states; acommunications system configured to wirelessly communicate thedetermined lighting state to a lighting system attached to one of ahelmet and clothing of a motorcycle driver or a towed apparatus; and aremote light of the lighting system being configured to replicate thedetermined lighting state of the first light.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein each of the first detector and the second detector includes oneof an optical sensor, a photodiode, an electrical sensor, anaccelerometer, a strain gauge, an infrared (IR) detector, thermalsensor, a magnetic field sensor, an electric field sensor, a voltagedetector, a current detector, and a camera.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the first light includes one of an incandescent light, a compactfluorescent light (CFL), a Xenon light, and a light emitting diode(LED).
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the lighting state includes oneof an on state, an off state, and a partially-on state.
 5. The system ofclaim 1, wherein one of the second light and the communications systemis powered by one of a battery, solar energy, kinetic energy, and thehost vehicle.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the communicationssystem includes a wireless connection.
 7. The system of claim 6, whereinthe wireless connection is one of a unidirectional wireless connectionand a bidirectional wireless connection.
 8. The system of claim 6,wherein the wireless connection includes a BLUETOOTH connection.
 9. Thesystem of claim 6, wherein the wireless connection utilizes at least onewideband radio frequency (RF) link.
 10. The system of claim 6, whereinthe wireless connection utilizes a single narrowband radio frequency(RF) link.
 11. The system of claim 6, wherein the wireless connectionutilizes multiple narrowband radio frequency (RF) links.
 12. The systemof claim 11, wherein the multiple narrowband RF links include: a firstRF link operating at one of about 315 MHz and 5.85 GHz; and a second RFlink operating at one of about 433 MHz and 5.925 GHz.
 13. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the communications system includes a wired connection.14. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications system includes aseparate transmitter and receiver.
 15. The system of claim 1, whereinthe communications system includes a transceiver.
 16. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the communications system is configured to hop betweenmultiple frequencies.
 17. The system of claim 1, wherein thecommunications system is configured to utilize a key-coded wirelesssignal.
 18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and seconddetectors are configured to determine and cancel ambient light signalsin the sensed light.